


six precious months

by interstellarbeams



Category: Sanditon (TV 2019)
Genre: Baby Fic, F/M, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Protective Mama Charlotte, Protectiveness, Season - Autumn, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-02
Updated: 2019-11-02
Packaged: 2021-01-20 16:33:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,955
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21284759
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/interstellarbeams/pseuds/interstellarbeams
Summary: Sidney appreciates Charlotte’s protectiveness of their child, even if it sometimes gets him in trouble.
Relationships: Charlotte Heywood & Sidney Parker, Charlotte Heywood/Sidney Parker
Comments: 15
Kudos: 141





	six precious months

**Author's Note:**

> Un’beta’d so don’t pull out the pitchforks! 
> 
> My first attempt at writing baby fic for the Regency era. I hope it’s not too obvious. And of course, it’s me so my first fic for this fandom revolves around an adorable baby.
> 
> Hopefully I have Sidney and Charlotte’s characterizations right. 🤞🏻
> 
> Kudos and comments are appreciated! 💕

The wind rushing through the trees overhead caused Sidney to lift his eyes, watching as the multicolored leaves drifted down on the lastest gust. The breeze brought with it a cooling sensation, much more in tune with the current time of year than the Indian summer they had been experiencing as of late.

The midday temperature was mild in his opinion and he didn’t need much more than the linen shirt that he wore underneath his favorite leather vest but Charlotte would have his head if he hadn’t thought to be more careful with the small, squirming bundle that he held in one arm.

Reaching down he pulled the intricate and carefully woven blanket more closely over his daughter’s small head, the cap that covered her curly brown crown of hair, silky under his hand. 

“There.” He smiled at his little girl, who’s eyes drifted from his face to the leaves that softly floated down, catching against his shoulders. The grass underneath and surrounding them was yellow-ish and dry under his hand as he picked up a bright red leaf and twirled it between his fingers, managing to catch his daughter’s attention and an answering smile lifted her lips.

She babbled something nonsensical, at least to his ears, reaching for the fragile foliage but he pulled it back before her chubby fingers could crumple it. 

“Now, now,” he playfully scolded her, “Let’s not crush the prettiest leaf that your papa picked out just for you.” 

He knew it was useless to admonish her, even in jest, for she couldn’t understand what he was saying but her eyes watched him seriously and she poked one fist into her mouth, drooling onto the front of her white gown, but she didn’t try to grab the leaf again. 

He felt a slight twinge of dismay for dampening her enthusiasm — she apparently loved the outdoors as much as her mama — so he grasped her small hand in his and lifted her fingers to rub along the ridge of the leaf, watching her expression carefully. Her eyes widened slightly at the unusual texture and he felt a swelling of emotion in his chest at the delighted way she chortled. Her fingers grasped for the leaf again and he let her squish it in one damp fist, waving it in front of his nose as if to taunt him but he knew that she was only testing out her own abilities. He just prayed she wouldn’t try to put it in her mouth. 

It had been six precious months since their little Constance Rosalyn was born and his wife, face shining with sweat but beaming with an indistinguishable joy, had placed their daughter into his arms and he had lost his heart forever. 

He had never expected to experience the joy of fatherhood, especially after the mess that he had made of his and Charlotte’s relationship — the idea of Eliza and motherhood just didn’t seem to fit — and he had quite given up hope on ever feeling content again. 

_Contentment_, that was what he was feeling right now. A sensation he had been unfamiliar with since his youth, until his marriage and the knowledge that Charlotte was his and his alone — till death they did part. He didn’t have to spend anymore time without her. She was his wife, she loved him and he loved her and that was all that mattered until the little life that they created secured a hold on his heart.

Constance squealed, patting her hands against his stomach and almost lost her balance as she tried to scoot forward to grab ahold of another leaf that fell from the trees above them. He grabbed her, under her arms, with quick hands, lifting her above his head and laughing as she squealed even louder as he tossed her high, but not too high, or he would be on the receiving end of a lecture on their daughter’s safety from his understandably protective wife.

He dropped her back down to plant a kiss on her rosy cheek, that was cool under the press of his lips and he determined he would take her in soon, when he heard the jingle of livery coming from the front of his and Charlotte’s home. 

He assumed that Charlotte had finally made her way home after a trip into the nearby village. She would soon be passing through the house’s entryway and be notified by their butler of his whereabouts. 

Sidney quickly grabbed up the baby’s blanket, that had slipped into his lap after their playing and wrapped it around Constance’s body. Her lip trembled at being confined, her arms pressed against her sides as he swaddled her but he made a funny face and her burgeoning tears dried up, her frown turned into a smile. 

_For your mama_, he thought to himself, _or your papa will be on the end of a deserved but tedious lecture._

He finished wrapping the baby and stood, cradling her close against his shoulder when Charlotte came out the back door, her bonnet hanging from her elbow by the ribbons. 

She smiled when she caught sight of them, almost skipping as she made her way closer, her cheeks as pink as her daughter’s from the brisk breeze. 

“I thought I would find you out here.” She greeted them as she came closer and he took a few steps in order to meet her halfway. 

“You mean Travers, told you.”

Charlotte rolled her eyes, a look he was quite familiar with especially when he teased her and he couldn’t help but smirk down at her.

“_Yes_, Travers told me, but I know my husband, who had been complaining about the unseasonably warm weather, would be out enjoying this fresh day.”

“Oh, you knew, did you?”

“Yes,” Charlotte lifted a hand to press against his shoulder as she dared him, with her gaze, to contradict her. In all seriousness, Sidney was flattered that she knew so much about him, even after their relatively short courtship and quick marriage — neither one wanting to be without the other for any longer than necessary, no matter that it had set the gossips tongues wagging. Eliza, his former lover and fiancée, hadn’t even known how he took his tea but Charlotte had taken notice even after their brief, frigid first few encounters. 

After a quick kiss, she rubbed a hand along the baby’s back, her brown eyes bright with happiness and the glow of the autumn sunlight slanting through the trees and across the lawn.

“I’m happy to see your papa has you wrapped warmly, while he’s outdoors in just his shirt sleeves.” 

Sidney shook his head, tilting his head to the side, in amusement. Charlotte narrowed her eyes at him, as she lifted the baby from his arms and cuddled her against her, leaning her own dark head against the baby’s smaller one, presumably breathing in her familiar baby scent.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” She asked as she lifted her attention from their offspring. 

“Nothing… except, I knew you were going to say that.” He crossed his arms over his chest, watching as various reactions played out across Charlotte’s face before she settled on one, stubbornness.

She jutted out her chin like he had just told her that her breath smelled like last week’s garlicky mutton stew and he couldn’t help but laugh.

“Come on, Charlotte. It’s not an insult. You care about me and you care about our daughter. You are a protective mother, that’s all I meant.” 

“Well, if that’s all you meant. I— thank you. I don’t think you’ve ever complimented me so thoroughly.” 

“_Never_?” Sidney laughed, enjoying the look of exasperation that crossed her face.

He walked a few paces to a nearby apple tree and lifted one of the fallen fruits off of the ground, dusting it off on his sleeve he bit into it with an audible crunch.

“Sidney— why, you don’t know where that’s been?” She followed him, watching him as he chewed and swallowed the bite of not-quite-ripe apple. 

Constance waved her fist at her papa, babbling and he could almost see her, in eighteen years looking just like her mama, as she scolded him on his inappropriate behavior around her suitors. The thought was sobering and he pushed it away, not willing to think of his daughter as a grown woman when she still wore diapers and couldn’t chew solid foods. 

“It’s good.” He offered it to his wife but she turned up her nose at it, her eyebrows scrunched in the middle. 

“I can’t believe you’re risking your health with unripened fruit.”

“It’s not like it’s rotten meat.” Sidney barely controlled his urge to roll his eyes at her overprotectiveness.

“Fine, but don’t come crawling to me when you have a stomach ache this evening. I have enough wailing to contend with when it comes to Constance, I will not listen to _your_ complaints as well.”

Sidney scoffed, but he dropped the apple to the ground and it rolled before coming to a stop at the base of the tree. 

Charlotte knew better than to say I-told-you-so but the knowing look in her eyes was enough to make him groan, good-naturedly. 

“It’s a good thing I love you,” he groused, as he walked over and placed a hand on Charlotte’s lower back.

She lifted her head, to glance up at him, her eyelashes turned auburn in the sunshine. “I love you too,” she said, no hint of teasing or insincerity in her eyes, “that’s why I’m overprotective.” 

“I know. I— I appreciate that about you, Charlotte. Also, your perseverance and strength when I— we were separated. I— I don’t know what I would have done if I hadn’t had your memory to hang on to, throughout all the mess with Tom and my engagement…” He trailed off, unwilling to bring up the problems that had made their first attempt at a courtship a literal failure. He wanted to forget about that and focus on the future. 

“It’s okay. I know you didn’t want it to happen and you didn’t mean to hurt me. I forgave you long ago, and we cannot regret it can we, when it led us here?” 

“No, we cannot. You’re right.”

“We rewrote our history, did we not?” Charlotte asked, eyes shining with happiness as she bounced the baby up and down, carefully when she grew fussy and started rubbing at her eyes.

“Yes, we did.” 

Sidney admired her for a few moments as they slowly walked, side by side, back towards their manor house, before he pulled her to a stop by her arm.

“I don’t want to make history with anyone else, you’re the one, the only one.” 

“I know. Neither do I.” 

She smiled as he leaned down to kiss her, the weight of her bonnet hitting him in the leg, from the fierceness of the wind, and blowing her dark curls against his cheeks, her sweet jasmine scent filling his senses. 

He dug his fingers into her hair, lifting her chin so that he could deepen the kiss, an angle that he had learned from experience, was better for the both of them. She sighed as he pulled back, a sweet puff of breath against his lips before she opened her eyes. 

“Let’s go in. Shall we? It’s getting rather cold out here.”

Charlotte laughed, head thrown back and Constance shrieked as Sidney scooped her up out of her mother’s arms and started jogging towards the house. Charlotte chased after them, lifting her skirts inappropriately high above her ankles but Sidney could only admire the sight as they raced each other inside, their laughter carried off by the winds.


End file.
